Bachelor of Information and Records Management (BIRM) programme aims to produce graduates with a great ability and understanding as well as professional attitudes and perspectives in information and records management. At all levels, it has particular emphasis to application of ICT in managing information and records.
ABOUT PROGRAMME
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
TEACHING
The programme shall constitute core courses, which are compulsory to all students and elective courses that shall be selected to meet the minimum requirement of 60 credits per semester. Students shall register for all core courses and shall select appropriate elective courses in a semester based on their interest and carrier.
SEMESTER I
CORE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
IRM 100 Foundations of Information Science
IRM 101 Fundamentals of Communication
IRM 102 Principles of Records Management
INF 110 Introduction to Microcomputers and Applications
IRM 103 Reference Services and Resources
ELECTIVE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
DS 100 Principles, Theories and Contemporary Issues of Development
SC 100** Communication Skills I
MTH 102 Basic Mathematics
IRM 103 Reference Services and Resources
IRM 104 Publishing and Book Trade
SEMESTER II
CORE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
MTH 106 Introductory Statistics
IRM 110 Collection Development and Management
SC 101 Communication Skills II
IRM 111 Managing Registries and Record Centres
IRM 112 Cataloguing and Classification I
ELECTIVE COURSES
IRM 113 Office Management and Practice
IRM 114 Desktop Publishing
INF 105 Fundamentals of Computer Networks
INF 108 ICT for Development
SEMESTER III
CORE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
IRM 200 Database Management Systems
IRM 201 Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Rights
IRM 202 Marketing of Information Services
IRM 203 Appraisal and Disposal of Records
IRM 204 Information Literacy
ELECTIVE COURSES
IRM 205 Business Information Systems
IRM 206 Managing Personnel Records
IRM 207 Managing Legal Records
IRM 208 Information Services for Rural Communities
SEMESTER IV
CORE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
IRM 210 Automating Information Services
IRM 211 Managing Electronic Records and Archives
IRM 213 Cataloguing and Classification II
IRM 214 Managing Archives
IRM 215 Web Technology
ELECTIVE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
IRM 216 Repackaging and Dissemination of Information
IRM 217 Managing Health Records
IRM 218 Management Information Systems
SEMESTER V
CORE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
IRM 300 Preservation of Records and Information Resources
IRM 301 Copyrights and Related Rights
IRM 302 Legal, Policy and Ethical Issues in Information Management
IRM 303 Project 1: Research Methods and Proposal Development
IRM 304 Information Security
ELECTIVE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
IRM 305 Managing Financial Records
INF 315 Information Architecture
IRM 306 Management of Museums
IRM 307 Management Principles and Practice
SEMESTER VI
CORE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
IRM 310 Infopreneurship
IRM 311 Management of Business Archives
IRM 312 Abstracting and Indexing
IRM 313 Knowledge Management and Systems
IRM 314 Research Project 2
ELECTIVE COURSES
CODE MODULE TITLE
IRM 315 Science Communication
IRM 316 Project Planning and Management
IRM 317 Managing Land Records
ASSESSMENT AND EXAMINATIONS
Criteria for various coursework assessments and end-of-semester University examinations shall follow the General University Examination Regulations of SUA’s undergraduate degree programmes.
The following examination regulations apply to the Bachelor of Information and Record Management:
Programme Assessment Strategy
(i) There shall be written examinations at the end of each semester for each course.
(ii) Candidates shall be required to pass each course.
(iii) The pass mark for each paper shall be 50%.
(iv) The general university examination regulations for undergraduate degree programmes shall apply.
Examination General format & Examination Regulations
Coursework assessment for courses with formal practical shall be as follows:
(i) Practical tests and reports shall carry 40% of the assessment. Out of 40%, the practical test shall carry 30% and practical reports shall carry 10%.
(ii) Candidates shall be required to pass the practical component separately.
(iii) Tests and assignments, which will be given at appropriate stages during the semester, shall carry 20% of the assessment. Out of 20%, the test shall carry 15% and the assignments shall carry 5%.
(iv) The end of semester examination shall account for 40% of the assessment.
Coursework assessment for courses without formal practical component shall be as follows:
(i) Tests and assignments which shall be given at appropriate stages during the semester shall carry 40% of the marks for the examination paper. Out of 40%, the test shall carry 30% and essays and assignments shall carry 10%.
(ii) The final written examination paper shall account for 60%.
Examination Moderations, Practical and Thesis Assessment.
Where applicable University examination moderations will be carried out by both internal and external moderators. In order to effectively implement UQF requirements, all procedures shall be done in accordance to SUA Quality Assurance and Promotion Bureau guidelines.
External moderation of BIRM examinations shall be carried out by senior instructors with competency in relevant subject/discipline or related field from recognized higher learning institutions.
Conditions for continuation and discontinuation
(i) A candidate shall be allowed to proceed to the next academic unit under a continuing status after passing the examinations in all core courses and elective courses that make a minimum of 120 credits. Such a candidate shall have passed a minimum of 60 credits per semester
(ii) A candidate failing to get a total of 80 credits and a GPA of 2.0, based on the best 120 credits including all core courses and electives in that academic unit shall be discontinued from studies.
(iii) A candidate failing in one or more paper(s) and having passed at least 80 credits with a GPA of at least 2.0 in that academic unit shall be required to sit for probation examination(s) offered before the start of the subsequent academic unit.
(iv) A candidate who fails probation examinations shall be allowed to proceed to the next academic unit as a probation candidate. Such a candidate shall be required to retake the examination(s) as a third attempt during the subsequent probation examination session.
(v) A candidate who fails to graduate after failing probation examination(s) shall be required to sit for the respective examination as a third attempt when next offered except where, upon request on account of extenuating circumstances, a written permission to postpone third attempt to probation session has been granted.
Exit levels available with respect to UQF description
Regulations pertaining to coursework evaluation shall be as per SUA general regulations and guidelines. Candidates shall be evaluated by both continuous assessments and end of the course university examinations. A minimum of 360 credits must be attained for a candidate to qualify for the award of BIRM.
Successful completion of all core and selected elective courses in year two will qualify the candidate for a UQF Higher diploma. Successful completion of all core, and selected elective courses in year one, two and three (Semester I to VI) will qualify the candidate BIRM degree.
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The intention is that at the end of the programme the candidate should be able to:
- Describe scientific principles and practices applicable in information and records management activities.
- Organize different types of information and record formats in accordance to the internationally recognized standards
- Apply knowledge management concepts and strategies to address various forms of information and records management practices
- Classify different types of information facilities (libraries, information centres, documentation centres, record centres, archives etc) and be able to manage their day to day activities
- Solve information and records management problems by effective utilization of principles of information management and records administration
- Identify appropriate ICTs and use them effectively to manage information and to administer records in various organizations
- Identify business opportunities in information and records management activities and articulate them as employment opportunities
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Admission for the Bachelor of Information and Records Management requires the following qualifications.
DIRECT STUDENTS
The minimum requirements for admission of direct entrants into undergraduate degree programmes shall be TWO PRINCIPAL LEVEL PASSES (4.0 points of the current NECTA grading system) in the Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ACSEE) level save for as would be amended from time to time by senate.
EQUIVALENT STUDENTS
Diploma Certificate with a GPA of not less than 3.0 and a minimum of FOUR passes or THREE credits in relevant subjects in the Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (CSEE; O-level).
RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL) CANDIDATES
Candidates seeking admission through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) shall be required to have a valid RPL certificate obtained after passing an RPL examination relevant to the degree programme being applied for as recommended by senate
CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM
Admission into SUA undergraduate degree programmes under credit transfer system is conditional on:
- Course in university of origin being accredited by TCU.
- SUA having a credit transfer arrangement with the university from which the credits have to be transferred.
- SUA having approved equivalency of subjects/modules/courses from which the credits originate.
- Proof (through authenticated detailed transcript) of acquisition of credits for course prerequisite for the entry point.
- Direct candidates for a diploma programme shall be required to have an A-level certificate with at least one principal pass or two passes in ACSEE with minimum total TWO points in one/two subjects from among subjects prescribed as relevant to the diploma programme.
- An equivalent candidate for a diploma programme will be required to have a relevant post-O-level certificate of at least Credit level and O-level certificate with at least FOUR passes or THREE credits in relevant subjects.
TRANSFER AND PROGRESSION
Progression Routes into this Programme, Progression Routes from this Programme, vertical articulation and horizontal articulations.
Vertically, successful completion of BIRM at SUA will enable a graduate to progress for postgraduate certificate or postgraduate diploma or master degree studies in the relevant disciplines.
Horizontally, it will be possible for BIRM students to transfer accumulated credits to recognized institutions offering similar programmes. Similarly, students enrolled in similar programmes in other institutions can transfer their accumulated credits to join BIRM.
FEES STRUCTURE
Tanzanian Students (TShs)
- 1,263,000 Per Year.
Foreign Students (US$)
- 3,000 Per Year
HOW TO APPLY
HELP AND SUPPORT
Admission Help desk
Directorate of Undergraduate Studies,
Sokoine University of Agriculture,
P.O. Box 3000, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro
Tel: +255765997885 OR +255692762372
Email: admission@suanet.ac.tz
Head of Department
P.O. Box 3022, Chuo Kikuu,
Morogoro, Tanzania
Tel: +255 23 260 4639
Email: dirs@suanet.ac.tz